ROUND TABLE
Def: How do you foresee the equipment rental market in film and TV evolving? MP: It’s clear that the industry is on the cusp of significant change, as sustainability, wellbeing and diversity take centre stage. I believe that we will continue to see a notable rise in the demand for sustainable hiring options across all aspects of the industry. This shift towards greener practices demonstrates the industry’s environmental commitments, ensuring the film and TV sector remains resilient, forward-thinking and committed to sustainability in its processes. JA: This is a difficult one. AI will have a real impact – to what degree, though, no one knows just yet. Being a rental company, I would much rather people rent equipment than buy for obvious reasons. However, if you rent equipment, your options and creativity are limitless. As my dad always said, ‘make sure you use the right tool for the job’, and this is so true… MB: In the short term, we’re starting to see the green shoots of recovery following industry strikes and a massive slowdown in the commissioning of new content in general. At a time when owner-operators are facing long spells between jobs and increasing costs, renting equipment has never made more sense. Avoid high upfront costs, monthly expenses and equipment depreciation by renting instead of buying. More broadly speaking, the rental market is here to stay. Technology and innovation have never moved quicker, and renting allows users to stay ahead of the curve with access to the latest technology rather than investing in equipment that will soon be dated. BB: That is a tough question. However, this is a creative industry: as equipment technology evolves, our clients find new ways of using it. The introduction of the DJI Ronin 4D less than two years ago is a good example of this, where every episode of Silent Witness and Midsomer Murders used it as well as much of the recent theatrical release Civil War . Some cameras are becoming smaller, lighter
MC: When I first began my career in this industry, almost every major and independent feature was shot on film. In the last 25 years, we’ve seen digital become something of an industry standard. Though it has repeatedly seemed film might cease to exist, it hasn’t, and today there’s still a significant portion of productions shot on film. Just as long as film is being manufactured, we’ll see the demand for it continue. The digital revolution brought about many trends – including 3D, large format and virtual reality – that have ebbed and flowed in popularity, but I see the future of the equipment rental market being in lenses. As digital cameras continued to evolve and the formats became more varied, filmmakers had the opportunity to test out different types of lenses and instantly see high-resolution results, which has allowed them to be more experimental. Panavision has a long history of lenses, and our optics from 60 years ago are still being used today, meeting the high-quality demands of current DOPs. Cameras will always be evolving, but lenses will be the foothold that transcends industry change.
and cheaper, and clients are starting to recognise that they no longer actually have to spend the money on ARRI ALEXA Minis and Super Speeds to make images look nice. While, at the same time, ‘proper’ equipment and ‘nice’ lenses are just as popular for scripted drama, commercials and those demanding a ‘high-end’ look. We really hope this budget-saving does not stretch to using cheaper, less- experienced crew too, else programmes will end up looking more generic and experienced cinematographers will have to become baristas! MG: Success in the rental market is always going to come down to our ability to keep adapting and reacting in an appropriate way to the industry’s constantly shifting landscapes. The future is in the hands of the next wave of creatives that enter our industry. Deep passion and excitement is coming from these budding filmmakers, meaning there is every reason to keep investing in training and education so that we are prepared for tomorrow’s TV and film productions.
SUCCESS IN RENTAL COMES DOWN TO our ability to react ”
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